Neighborhood moving to secede from Hampton Beach

HAMPTON — Selectmen rejected a request made by beach officials to postpone an upcoming hearing regarding the White’s Island neighborhood petition to break away from the Hampton Beach Village District.

Patrick Cronin

HAMPTON — Selectmen rejected a request made by beach officials to postpone an upcoming hearing regarding the White’s Island neighborhood petition to break away from the Hampton Beach Village District.

Selectmen decided Monday to move forward with the Dec. 17 hearing even though commissioners of the district, who are opposed to withdrawal effort, wanted it canceled.

The hearing was called after nearly 60 residents from the White’s Island neighborhood filed a petition asking selectmen to approve their request to secede, saying they no longer want to pay additional taxes to belong to the district.

Per state statute, selectmen are required to host a public hearing on the request. If selectmen grant the petition to change the district’s boundaries, it would go before voters of the district for final approval.

Attorney Sharon Cuddy Somers, representing the Village District, said commissioners wanted to postpone the hearing until early January.

She said the request has a significant impact to the residents of the district and a hearing in the middle of the holiday season may prove difficult for some to attend.

In a letter to selectmen, the commissioners also expressed concerns regarding the state statute regarding a request to change the district’s boundaries which is silent on a number of issues. Postponement, they said, would allow more time to iron out the issues prior to the hearing. Concerns raised included whether proper notification will be made for the hearing, the role selectmen will play and the standards they will use to make the decision.

They also questioned the petition itself, as the state statutes are silent on the requirements, and some who signed it do not live in the White’s Island section.

Hampton Town Attorney Mark Gearreald recommended selectmen move forward with the hearing, noting the town has gone far above what was needed for notification. He said the town has already spent money advertising the Dec. 17 hearing in the newspaper, as well as notifying 150 properties in the White’s Island neighborhood.

Gearreald said selectmen will still have the option at the conclusion of the Dec. 17 hearing to continue it to a future date if they want to hear more testimony.

Selectman agreed to take that approach.

“(Canceling it) is not being fair to the people who presented the petition,” said Selectman Ben Moore. “Whether your for it or against it, we have to respect the right of petition.”

Selectman Mike Pierce said he believes this is a beach issue that should be decided by the district. Nevertheless, Pierce said state statutes call for selectmen to host the hearing and they need to comply.

“It’s our responsibility to honor that,” Pierce said.

The board, however, did not specifically address the precinct’s other concerns including what standards selectmen will use in making a final decision.

Selectmen Chairman Rick Griffin said the board will not vote on the matter Dec. 17.

However, a decision will be made prior to the deadline to submit warrant articles for the district’s upcoming Annual Town Meeting, which is usually held at the end of March.

Moore said its important that the board doesn’t hold up the process.

“We are not the final say,” said Moore. “We are effectively approving a petition warrant article that then will go before the voters.”

Residents who signed the petition said they want to withdraw because many own residential homes and do not receive a direct benefit from what the precinct offers.

Residents who live in the district pay an additional tax, the majority of which is used to promote Hampton Beach, including nightly entertainment and weekly fireworks shows during the summer.

Advertise

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
seacoastonline.com ~ 111 New Hampshire Ave., Portsmouth, NH 03801 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service